Cheddar, Bleu Mont

The son of a Swiss-born cheesemaker, Willi Lehner has had his hands in cheese vats since he was a child. He makes cheese at different local dairies near his farm in the picturesque Driftless region of southern Wisconsin, and only from the milk of pastured cows. Lehner ages his wheels in a hand-built underground straw-bale cave, which is lined with cedar boards. The unique walls help control humidity and temperature, both of which are critical to proper cheese ripening. Committed to sustainable agriculture and renewable energy, Lehner runs the vault and the farm on wind and solar power.

Bleu Mont, a wonderfully sharp and fruity cheddar, is wrapped in cloth and spritzed with a mixture of water and old cheddar rinds, which helps to transfer microbes to the new wheels. The cheese is aged on special spruce boards, and the finished wheels offer notes of toast and nuts, a caramel sweetness and a long earthy finish.